Tubby kids to hunt for food

THE BBC is set to cause outrage with a reality show that makes porky kids a laughing stock — by forcing them to hunt for food.

Ten youngsters will be sent to live with Aboriginal tribesmen in Australia for a month in Fat Teens Can’t Hunt.

They have to follow the strict rules of the Aborigines — so if they want to eat, they must feast on plants, grasses and fruits as well as trap, kill and cook any animals or insects they find.

If they do not tuck into the traditional tucker, they go without.

Cameras will follow the group’s attempts to locate food in the baking sun of the Australian bush.

The shock show — being made by Big Brother producer Endemol — is billed as an attempt to help fat kids tackle overeating problems.

Producer Bridget Sneyd claimed: “Britain has the fattest teenagers in Europe with one in three overweight or obese. Doctors warn that if we don’t tackle this problem, generations of kids face a drastic reduction in the quality and longevity of their lives.

“This experiment gives our teenagers a unique opportunity to address their dysfunctional relationship with food once and for all before they reach adulthood.”

The BBC3 series will be filmed this summer and producers are looking for ten overweight teens prepared to be filmed around the clock.

It follows Channel 4 plans for a similar show, which will force participants to source food from a rubbish dump.

But Fat Teens Can’t Hunt has come under fire from medical experts.

Weight Concern medical director Dr Ron Campbell described the idea as “voyeuristic”.

The Sun, 13/04/07.

What an awful idea.

FAT TORMENT TELLY RAPPED

A NEW BBC reality series which will show overweight teenagers being forced to hunt for food in the Australian Outback has been blasted by an expert.

Dr Colin Wayne of the National Obesity Forum said: "Exploiting a serious medical condition like this is despicable."

Producers are searching for 10 fat youngsters for Fat Teens Can't Hunt.

The People, 22/04/07.

Fat Teen Show Goes To Oz

A location team has arrived in Darwin to search the Australian outback for a place to film a new UK television series in which obese teenagers will have to hunt for food if they want to eat.

Makers of Fat Teens Can't Hunt are holding talks with local Aboriginal groups interested in cooperating with the BBC Three show by teaching the teens how to trap, kill, gather and cook bush tucker.

Sara Ramsden - creative director of Cheetah Television, the factual arm of Big Brother production company Endemol - said: "We're in extensive conversations and negotiations with different groups in Australia.

"It's important that we're respectful of the local traditions and we find a good group of people to work with and they're interested in celebrating the food hunting and gathering skills."

A location is expected to be decided by the end of May.

Casting should be complete in June for the series featuring five boys and five girls aged 16-19 in six one-hour episodes.

It is based on an earlier series, Fat Men Can't Hunt, which sent a group of eight obese adults to live with the bushmen of Namibia's Kalahari Desert.

Ramsden said the show's teen participants would have the full consent of parents and guardians and a nutritionist would be on hand.

"We take our duty of care with the kids very, very seriously," she said.

"It's going to be hard for them.

"Some are going to be away from home for the first time, they're going to be hungry."

Filming will take place in August.

Waveguide, 01/04/07.